Tag: Flower Design

We LOVE the Newest Member of the Starbright Family!

Every year in January, Tom Sebenius (our Creative Director) takes a sabbatical to go to his home state of California to work decorating floats for the Rose Bowl Parade.  This past January there was a professor and some students from BYU that were a part of the creative team in Pasadena as well.  Through good old fashioned networking, Tom heard about Jaime Garrett (A BYU – Idaho) who was just dying to find an internship in a high impact florist and would just be thrilled with a New York City experience in the Summer of 2010.

After a few back and forth emails, Jaime packed her bags from Idaho and headed East for the summer.  She has been  with us for about six weeks now, taking in the New York City experience and having the time of her life in our store.  All I can say is that I truly hope that she is enjoying her time with us and getting as much out of this experience as we are by having met her.  Jaime is an amazing, dedicated and super dynamic person that will truly be missed when she heads back to school at the end of her internship.

They say that a worthwhile life is a life that you spend positively touching the lives of others.  Jaime has touched us all with  her smile, her positive outlook and her attention to detail.  A true pro in the making.  JAIME:  You have made lifelong friends at Starbright!

Here is a short version of Jaime’s experience at Starbright in her own words:

I am Jaime Garrett and I am a student at Brigham Young University Idaho. I am currently studying horticulture with a floral design emphasis. One requirement of a horticulture major is to do an internship. Ever since I learned that I would need to do an internship, I knew I wanted to intern in New York.  There was something about the city the never sleeps that always intrigued me.  So, when the time came for me to find an internship I made a list of different floral shops and began my hunt to find the right place for me. I found Starbright Floral Design through students and teachers from school who had worked with some of the Starbright team at the Pasadena Rose Parade. When Starbright said they were willing to take me on for the summer I could not have been more excited.

When I arrived in New York I was overwhelmed with the millions of people, the crazy taxi drivers and the very confusing subway system.  But, I was not going to let a little culture shock bring me down! I was ready to start work at Starbright. Things were definitely different and new to me when I first started working and I had a lot to learn.  I was excited to learn more and adapt to their style of design. Everything about they way the designed impressed me and made me want to learn more.

I have now been working at Starbright for a few weeks and am really enjoying myself. Some of the things I have had the great experience to be part of are; working on events and parties, working on site at hotels, and helping with wedding work. I have learned more than I could ever imagine and am still learning more each day. My time here is not done, and I am really grateful for that!

A few words  about Starbright Floral Design:

We are a premier New York City Florist (highest rated on Google and Citysearch) that specializes in décor (plant and cut flower) for corporate and institutional clientele.  Our plantings and floral is featured in many prominent New York City offices, hotels and restaurants throughout Manhattan (references are available).  We are permanent members of NYC & Company and HSMAI.  Our presence in the corporate community has been well documented since our inception in 1994.

Starbright is located in New York City’s Historic Flower District on 28th Street.  Our location enables us to provide outstanding service and prices while offering displays whose freshness is at its peak.

You may visit us online at www.starflor.com or call us at 800.520.8999

Starbright Goes to School… Kindergarten to be exact!

It is rare that you can have this much fun at work!  It is even more  rare when you can say that the work you do is this rewarding….  About a week ago a bunch of folks from the Starbright team, headed down the block in our neighborhood to a local school and spent some time with some really young farmers and gardeners.

School children at that young age can really change your  perspective  with the way they see  things and their eagerness to learn.  The questions they ask and the curiosities that they seek to satisfy.  For the rest of the school year they will watch their seedlings grow and their imagination will run wild.  Going to the farmer’s market will never  be the same for them, the plant that they will help mom water on their terrace, or the impatiens outside their building will have a whole new meaning.

Truth be told this experience  has a whole new meaning for us too.  Spending the day in the classroom enlightened our team on what the true rewards in life really are.  Our hats are off to their teachers who spend so much time and are  so dedicated to their daily lives.  Thank you for sharing such a moment with us.  We were enlightened and we learned more  than you can imagine!

About Starbright Floral Design – Starbright is a full service floral design studio and florist.  We server  the greater New York City community from our hub in the center of the historic flower district on 28th Street and 7th Avenue.  For more information on our organization and on the services that we provide, please visit our website at www.starflor.com or give us a call at 800-520-8999.  World wide delivery.  Amazing flowers, award winning designs and phenomenal reviews online.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Sunday May the 9th is Mother’s Day.  While we stand ready to serve your every request and to send amazing flowers and gifts to every mom in Manhattan and the world over, we want to remind you to send your love and your gratitude in your own special way.  This Sunday, let the phones ring, the “I love you’s” flow, the embraces warm and plenty and the flowers bloom! Every mom is special, every Mom is an MVP and we love them all.

For amazing flowers, designs that leave moms all over gasping for air… Give us a call (800-520-8999)  or visit our website at www.starflor.com.  Starbright Floral Design is the most reviewed florist on the web and we even have a streak of over 65 five star reviews!  Worldwide delivery, based in Manhattan with our own store and incredible flowers.  We promise to make mom smile!

Mother's Day is Sunday May 9th. Send Mom incredible flowers!
Every Mom is Special to Someone!

Our MADRE Sponsorship

For the past several years we have been honored to sponsor a MADRE Event that honors those who do the most for women in challenging situations throughout the world.  Below is a description of this years event, the honoree and the organization.  To learn more about the organization and the amazing work that MADRE does, please visit their website at THIS LINK.  You may also visit our website at www.starflor.com to follow Starbright, send flowers, amazing gifts and learn about the work we do and the events we are involved with.

The event was a tribute to honor Elsa Stamatopoulou, current Chief of the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues for the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. At her retirement Mrs. Stamatopoulou has dedicated 23 years of her United Nations work specifically to the advancement of human rights. Throughout her career she has given support to a number of organizations and she has influenced in the implementation of human rights treaties, the progress of rights of the child, of indigenous peoples, education, development and civil society. We are organizing this tribute to thank her for the support she has given to the advancement of human rights, specifically to those of Indigenous women.

Elsa Stamatopoulou was born in Athens, Greece, where she obtained her Law Degree from the University of Athens Law School and entered the Athens Bar Association upon her graduation. She did her Masters studies in the Administration of Criminal Justice, at North-Eastern University, Boston, USA. She completed her Doctoral studies in Political Science with a specialization in International Law, at the University Institute of Graduate International Studies of the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Mrs. Stamatopoulou has received the award of the NGO Committee on the Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the Eleanor Roosevelt Award of the Human Rights Center and of Voices 21, and other awards from grassroots organizations. Furthermore, as the Secretary of the United Nations Working Groups of the Commission on Human Rights and its Sub-Commission and also of the General Assembly, she has participated in the drafting of the following international human rights instruments: the draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples; the Convention against Torture and Other Degrading Treatment or Punishment; the Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National, Ethnic, Religious or Linguistic Minorities, and the Declaration on the Rights of Persons who are not Citizens in the Country in which they Live.

The event was held on the 21st of April, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Church Center for the United Nations, where we hope to have a very special gathering with her friends and colleagues.

Plant Care Series – Your Yucca Plant

Here we are again, this time we will talk about a great houseplant.  The yucca.  It is a lush green plant that generally grows on a bark.  It is found outdoors in the Southern California type of climates but is also a great houseplant pretty much in any climate or environment.

The Yucca is a very easy plant to take care of and you should give it with confidence even to those that do not have much of a green thumb.  It will thrive in almost any office environment, home or apartment.  Here are a few simple tips that you should know about the plant you have or that you are thinking of buying:

It loves the sun!  A yucca will thrive in direct sunlight. The sun promotes the growth of the plant.  By its very nature the Yucca is a slow growing plant.  In a not-well-lit area the plant will remain green and it will not lose it lushness.  However, it will not grow much at all.  If you want to see your plant grow, give it sun!

If you can, take your plant out of doors in the summertime.  Leave it in a back porch, a balcony or even a fire escape.  If you cannot do this, the plant will be fine.  But it does love basking in the sun.  By the same token, because the Yucca recognizes the seasons, if at all possible, give it a chillier than room temperature environment in the wintertime.  By no means am I talking about freezing!

Most people kill their houseplants by over-watering!  Do not bother your plant every five  minutes with water and nutrients!  The top layer of the soil must be completely dry before you add water.

When you do water the plant, pour the water slowly so that it does not drain straight through the pot.  You want the moisture to seep into the soil and become very moist.  So watering your Yucca is a slow process.  Stop watering when your plant’s soil cannot absorb any more water and drops of water start coming out the bottom drain of your pot.

When you have watered your plant, leave it alone until the top half inch is granular.  How long this will take and with what frequency your plant will need to be watered depends on your environment.  In dry/warm rooms the plant will need to be watered more often.

Transplanting your Yucca (from the greenhouse or florist’s plastic pot) into a decorative pot.  Because the Yucca tends to be top-heavy (do to its leaf structure), you need to maintain a low center of gravity so that the plant does not tip over.  To accomplish this, you will need to select a heavy clay pot or a ceramic pot.

Next, make sure  your pot has good drainage.  The bottom layer of the pot should be either broken clay fragments or about two inches of gravel.  This will permit the excess water to run through.  It is also a good practice to put a screen above the gravel and below the  soil.  This will ensure that the  soil and the stones do not become one (and potentially a cement mixture!).

That’s about it for your Yucca!  Sit back and enjoy!

A Word About Starbright Floral Design: Starbright is a full-service florist and floral delivery service.  We are located on 28th Street in Manhattan (between 6th and 7th Avenues).  Our studio is on the Second Floor at 150 West 28th Street.  Besides offering worldwide delivery of flowers, plants and all types of related gifts; we are also a premiere florist for events, corporate accounts and weekly flowers.  Users of CitySearch.com voted Starbright the Best Florist in Manhattan for 2009 and The Knot selected us as the Wedding Florist in Manhattan too!  To learn more about us, the type of work that we do and investigate your inspirations, we invite you to visit our website at www.starflor.com.  See you there!

Springtime, the season for flowers…

Pink Peonies from North Carolina

Every season has its flowers.  There are flowers  in wide varieties all year long.  But springtime is really  special.  Sure with greenhouses and  with easy air transport from countries that are  in seasons opposite our own, flowers in all varieties are available virtually year round…

BUT, let me draw an analogy – Have you ever tasted the difference between a vine ripped tomato and one that came from halfway across the world?  Fruits and veggies are most enjoyable when the come from small local growers and when we enjoy them when they are really in season!  Strawberries and watermelon don’t really make much sense in December.  Do they?

Flowers are the same.  NOW is the time to indulge and to really enjoy your  flowers.  For the next three months there are so many varieties that are in season, so much to enjoy and such a plethora of colors and scents that you will overdose all of your senses in an elixir of life!

Window shop any florist, take an early morning stroll on 28th Street and take it all in at the NYC Flower District (should be a historic landmark) or better yet stop by our studio at 150 West 28th Street (www.starflor.com); and this is some of what you will see…

Tulipalooza is here!

Tulips in just about every imaginable color… They will  be around until early May.  If the springtime is unusually brisk, then they will last a little longer.

Flowering branches.  YES flowers growing on real branches!  Dogwood, Cherry Blossom, Quince, Forsythia, Plum and so much more.  These trees first bloom a flower and  then a leaf.  Natures gift to our homes is this timeless beauty that is enjoyed in every design style that truly transcends time.   Again, they are weather dependent, but flowering branches should be around  for about another two to three weeks…

Peonies are  about to make their grand entrance into our homes!  In their peak, the season will last about six weeks and they are so fragrant!  The local varieties are available in light and magenta pink, deep burgundy and white.  Catch them while they are around.  The best peonies are grown in the North and South Carolina and we are about to get our first shipment.  No need to reserve, there will be plenty to go around; but don’t blink!  The season IS short!

Lilac (grown on a bush) will show up and make a grand entrance in the late springtime too.  This is an extremely fragrant flower that everyone loves.  The most popular color for lilac is lavenderish-purple.  They do also come in white.

Anemones, sweet pea, mini calla lilies, roses (in amazing pastel tones) and so much more are coming too!  We hope you enjoy them all.  They are the protagonists of the season.  The first sign to put away the Winter Blues!  These are the flowers that will make us all smile and let the sun shine upon us.

For me?  After the lilacs bloom, it is motorcycle season!  It may be the beach, the jet ski or a hiking trip in the Shenandoah Valley that you have to look forward to.  But unless the peonies come and go, your summer fun is on pause.  Open your heart and let the spring shine in!  My favorite time of the year…

A few words about us: Starbright Floral Design is a premiere florist located in New York City.  We are in the Historic Flower District on Manhattan’s 28th Street in a second floor loft.  Most of the work that we do involves sending flowers and gifts delivered in Manhattan or anywhere else! Visit our gift-giving catalog to see what you can send.   We  are also experts at executing corporate and social events.  A peak at our event portfolio and you will be able to gain a broader perspective on the depth of our organization and they type of work that we do.  Whenever we could be of service, whenever we could answer a question, or if you would like to simply take in the colors and scents, we would love to hear from you.  We can also be reached by phone at 800.520.8999.  Happy Springtime!

Areca Palm – How to Take Care of your Areca Palm

Welcome to the first entry of our new series on  taking care of your plants.  So often we want to have  some live greenery in our homes and all to often we are intimidated by the care requirements that a plant may have.  How many times have we said to ourselves, I can’t have it because around me it will die? Or the classic: “I don’t have a green thumb”!  Some people (I am sure you have heard) play classical music to their plants, others talk to them!  While I will never dispute the benefits of talking to a plant, I can assure you that making sure that your plant is in an environment that it is comfortable in, is far more important than conversation or musical genre!

In this and all entries that follow, we will offer simple no-nonsense easy to understand instructions.  We should not be scared of the care that plants require  and in fact, they don’t require that much care.   Today we introduce you to the Areca Palm!

This Areca Palm plant is about seven feet tall - Brought to you by Starbright Floral Design

Areca palms can live indoors quite comfortably.  They are tropical plants and they would thrive in that type of climate.  Generally in a bright, sunny airy room that you are comfortable in (room temperature, with no extremes) they become well acclimated.  Here are some basic care instructions for your plant:

  • Select a sunny location.   It is best to have the plant near a Southern or Western facing window.
  • Water the plant about once every ten to fifteen days.  If the soil feels dry and granular on the top layer it is time to water your plant.
  • When you water your plant, pour the water in slowly so  that the moisture is absorbed by the soil, rather  than running through the plant.
  • Do not water your plant too often or too much.  Most plants do not like living in a moisture  infested swamp.
  • Too much standing water attracts bugs!
  • Feed about every one or two months with your choice of manufacturer’s indoor plant food.  Follow instructions on the bottle / box.
  • Avoid extreme temperature fluctuations.  Do not expose the plant to drafts by doors that open and close to the freezing cold or scorching heat.
  • Keep the plant away from  the direct influence of a radiator (it will dry the soil and make the foliage crisp).

Areca palms can be purchased from small table top plants (12 inches tall) to really tall floor plants that are over nine feet in height.  The average is between four and six feet.  If you have any questions on how to take care of your plant or on which plant is best for you, please feel free to reach out to me at nic@starflor.com.  You may also visit our website at www.starflor.com.  You can also email us a photo of your Areca for more thoughts on how to take care of your plant and correct a certain situation.

Lastly, don’t forget that Areca Palms make great gifts for a home or an office.  In the right space it will live forever and you will be remembered every time the person receiving your gift looks at its luscious green fronds!

About Starbright Floral Design: Starbright is a full service florist located in the heart of New York City’s historic flower district on 28th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues.  We service all hotels, event venues in the city as well as assisting with sending floral and plant gifts worldwide.  We can be reached at www.starflor.com, by email at cs@starflor.com or by phone at 1-800-520-8999.

A Poetry Reading and Support for a Women’s Network

On Monday, March 8, 2010, Starbright Floral Design is proudly sponsoring  with Step Up Women’s Network the Teen Programs which is holding the annual Spoken Word Teen Poetry Performance.  The event will showcase the poetry and performance skills of the high school teens who have participated in the after school program. We will celebrate our young poets with a Slam Poetry performance at the Nuyorican Poets Café. We expect over 100 guests to attend, including members of the Step Up community, parents and staff from participating Step Up schools.  This promises to be an amazing event.  Don’t miss it!  Everyone in attendance will receive a bright Orange Tulip in honor of these amazing New York City teens.   As an added “thank you”, everyone will receive a lifetime discount certificate from Starbright, good for $10 off every order  – forever!

Step Up Women’s Network is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to connecting and advancing women and girls. By bridging communities of professional women and underserved teen girls through mentorship, networking and advancement, we ensure women and girls have the opportunities they need to create a better future.

Be there! It promises to be a lot of fun!

ABOUT STARBRIGHT FLORAL DESIGN: We are a premiere New York City florist located on 28th Street, in the heart of the Historic Flower District.  To learn more about our organization and the work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com.  We offer same day delivery of amazing gifts, plants and the freshest stylized florals imaginable.  You may call us at 1.800.520.8999 to learn more about us and so that we may answer any questions that you may have.  We will always look forward to hearing from you!

Step-by-Step Flower Arranging…

So you went to the local bodega or your supermarket and bought some flowers!  Designing a vase of flowers that you can enjoy at home for over  a week is both rewarding and great therapy…  It can become a fun hobby and it is not that expensive!  In the photographs below you will be able to follow some simple steps to make your first flower arrangement.  Have fun!

Step One: Take a long and broad leaf and insert it on the interior wall of your vase. This will prevent the murkiness of the water from showing through to the outside of the vase. Add water to your vase. Fill to about an inch from the top. Round cylindrical vases work best for starters. Your vase can be short or tall. After a little bit of practice you can experiment with different shapes of vases.
STEP TWO: Make a grid on the top of your vase using adhesive clear tape. You will notice that there is a ring of tape on the outer rim of the vase. This is there to get the tape to stick to the sides of the vase. This grid is kind of like "cheating" as this is where you will be placing your flowers in a later step!
Step Three: Get different forms of greenery that you like (fern, lemon, pittosporum are all good for practice) and place your greens in the vase first. You are going to completely fill the vase (using the taped grids as your guide) to create a bed of greenery. This will be the base onto which your flowers will be placed in the next step.
Step Four: Constantly rotatae your vase and place the flowers you selected in equal distance and in symmetry to each other. As you do this, cut your stems to the height that you would want them (one by one). Remember that you can always cut more stem off! BUT you can never add stem back. Dont cut your flowers too much. The length of stem that you need is trial and error. Cut a little and then cut a little more!
Step Five: Find your empty spaces and fill them. As you rotate your vase (like a Lazy Suzan at a Chinese Restaurant!) you will find spots that you missed! Take the flowers or berries or stems that are not directly around the missing spot and fill with those in order to keep everyhting symmetrical.
Step Six: Enjoy! Voila!!!

To learn more about Starbright Floral Design and the work we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com or call us at 800-520-8999.  You can also become a Starbright Fan on Facebook.  We would love to hear from you!

The Making of an Enchanted Forest…

We were asked by an exhibitor at the Restaurant Show at Jacob Javits Center to transform their oversized exhibit area into an enchanted forest.  The materials we used included bamboo, willow branches, moss (by the ton), all kinds of ivies, sod, and anything else you can imagine that fit the genre.  Take special note of the glass table with the Snake Plant inside the base!   The photos below are of our work in progress… We hope you enjoy!

Starbright Floral Design is a full spectrum floral and decorating organization.  We deliver gifts all through Manhattan and beyond as well as plan and execute events of all types and sizes.  To visit our website, you can go to www.starflor.com and you can also call us at 800-520-8999.  We hope to hear from you soon!